| Pau: (20) 30 |
| Tries: Zeguer (2), Fisi’ihoi Pens: Simmonds (2) Cons: Simmonds (3) Drop-goal: Simmonds |
| Connacht: (12) 40 |
| Tries: Heffernan, Prendergast (2), Bolton, Blade, Aki Cons: Carty (2), Hanrahan (3) |
Connacht got here again from a half-time deficit to beat Pau and advance to the European Problem Cup quarter-finals.
The province trailed by eight factors on the break however scored six tries throughout the competition to safe the win.
Irish worldwide Bundee Aki scored the successful strive with 1 / 4 of an hour remaining at a time when Pau’s Jale Vatubua was within the sin bin.
Connacht will now play Benetton within the final eight.
Pete Wilkins’ aspect couldn’t have requested for a greater begin, scoring after solely 4 minutes.
When Pau gave away an early penalty, Connacht captain Jack Carty kicked to the nook and the pack mauled their approach ahead for hooker Dave Heffernan to attain.
Frustratingly for the guests, they might make a multitude of the restart with a knock-on when exiting in the end permitting Pau to stage solely 4 minutes later by way of quantity eight Sacha Zegueur.
Regardless of shedding Jarrad Butler to early harm, Connacht wouldn’t have to attend lengthy to regain the benefit.
Following good work from Aki, Carty’s cross to the appropriate wing gave flanker Cian Prendergast a walk-in rating.
Pau would endure an harm blow of their very own within the first half with captain Martin Puech taken off, however the High 14 aspect would rating 10 unanswered factors earlier than the flip to take a 20-12 lead into half-time.
After Simmonds kicked a penalty, Connacht had seemed to strike again however Dan Robson hacked a unfastened ball forward when Aki’s cross to Caolin Blade did not go at hand and, after good work from Thomas Carol, Zegueur was over for his second.
Pau seemed to have began the second half the higher of the edges however, in a strive just like Zegueur’s second simply earlier than the break, Shayne Bolton kicked forward when Pau misplaced possession and gathered the unfastened ball himself to attain.
Once more the hosts caught again virtually instantly, this time by way of Tongan prop Ziggy Fisi’ihoi and former Exeter Chief Joe Simmonds added a mammoth drop purpose quickly after.
The influential Heffernan created a rating for Blade to convey Connacht again inside a rating and Pau had been lowered to 14 simply after the hour mark when Jale Vatubua was despatched to the sin bin for a excessive sort out.
It was through the yellow card interval that Aki would seize the important thing strive, wriggling over from shut vary with the rating awarded after a prolonged TMO session.
Whereas Pau pushed to power yet one more lead change late on, it was Connacht who would have the ultimate say with Prendergast grabbing his second because of a wonderful end with two minutes left on the clock.
Line-ups
Pau: Maddocks; Carol, Roudil, Vatubua, Tuimaba; Simmonds, Robson; Fisi’ihoi, Delhommel, Tokolahi; Ducat, Tagitagivalu; Puech (capt), Hamonou, Zeguer.
Replacements: Rey, Parrou, Papidze, Cummins, Metz, Hewat, Daubagna, Desperes.
Sin-bin: Vatubua (62)
Connacht: O’Halloran; Bolton, Hawkshaw, Aki, Jennings; Carty (capt), Blade; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham; Joyce, Murray; Prendergast, Hurley-Langton, Butler.
Replacements: De Buitlear, Duggan, Illo, D Murray, Oliver, Devine, Hanrahan, Farrell.
Match officers
Referee: Andrea Piardi
TMO: Matteo Liperini